[HTC Inspire 4G] symonc:
Data Speeds

A note regarding data speeds of which I am indeed a preeminent expert.

The number of factors that go into what your data speed is on SpeedTest app or speakeasy.net/speedtest is dependent upon more factors than I care to write about, consequentially giving myself carpel tunnel syndrome in a single post.

The most simplistic example I can use here is the same I explain to my consulting clients regarding IT work, I also do specialized business consulting for efficiency maximization, workflow optimization, maximum TCI (Total Controllable Income) and other specific areas required for success in any business where internal and external logistics, processes and procedures are required.

Bandwidth / Download / Upload speed:

Think plumbing. If you have a 2" diameter pipe then there is a determinate amount of water or any other liquid of sustainable viscosity that may pass through that pipe at any given time.

For example if the liquid is light sweet crude oil -- it will have a maximum velocity and volume that it can pass through the 2" pipe that is less than that of say water - or extremely faster elements such as natural gas or hydrogen.

If that 2" pipe is feeding 20 outlets or nodes, and all of those are on at the same time - then of course the rate of transfer will be less to each than it would be if say only three of them were accessing it at the same given time.

The factors are exponential given the size of the initiating "pipe" -- 10" origination pipe would be exponentially faster feeding the corresponding 20 receptive pipes or "end users" than the 2" pipe would be.

Data is no different in concept or execution. When you are in your home on wifi or ethernet and you have a 10mb/second verified connection for download speed. If you are downloading a rom and your speed of download is 1.2mb/s then that's great. BUT - if your wife, two kids - and nephew all start watching HD videos on YouTube or Vimeo at the same time - playing Call of Duty online multiplayer etc - then the bandwidth of that 10mb/s originating connection is thusly reduced due to the amount of load that is now being placed on it - needing to be routed, parsed and so forth.

Network data is no different in that sense - but it also has the added factors of which given band you are on - 2G - 3G - HSPDA - HSUPA - etc. It also has the factor of signal strength and line of sight to the given radio tower or towers that your phone is connected to. Not to mention the number of other phone users that are also on the same tower(s).

Experiment for yourself. Sit in rush hour traffic or any busy area and test your download speed via data on your network - whether it says 2G - 3G - or or or.

Then test your speed at 3AM when all the sheep are sleeping and you have a lot more of the available bandwidth to yourself.

Case in point was CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas that I attend every year in January. Network data was frequently completely unavailable and consistently horrible due to the amount of concentration of people trying to access it.

It truly is that simple so long as your phone is set up properly: proper radio - proper APN settings - and consistent factors of signal, etc.